Mo Ghile Mear



[ca. 1740]

Lyrics by Seán Clárach MacDomhnaill

Testo di Seán Clárach MacDomhnaill


Music: to an Irish traditional tune

Musica: su un motivo tradizionale irlandese


Mary Black

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDlCM_Mwtys

Sting & The Chieftains

https://youtu.be/qS8X7S7vt6A

UCD Choral Scholars

https://youtu.be/zxjvNUNXhkU

The Highland Session

https://youtu.be/5Ojy1W6r8L0

Irish-Gaelic lyrics, rough phonetic. rough traslation

http://www.celticartscenter.com/Songs/Irish/MoGhileMear.html

About the author

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se%C3%A1n_Cl%C3%A1rach_Mac_Domhnaill#Works

The worn-out widow of the song is Ireland, and her Ghile Mear, "Gallant Darling," is "Bonnie" Prince Charles Stuart. In the Irish Gaelteacht this song is often sung at closing time in the pubs, when the bar steward is trying to clear the room, to sort of squeeze a few more convivial minutes out of the evening.

Mo Ghile Mear

(My Gallant Darling)

This song is an Irish homage to the "Great Pretender", Bonnie Prince Charlie, the descendant of Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots who had ambitions to the throne of Britian. His loyal followers of the Jacobite movement fought for him to take possession of the crown and to put an end to religious persecution in Scotland, occupied Ireland, Wales, and England. The rebellion was put down, hundreds of thousands died in battle under unsurmountable odds, and the prince fled to the Continent under secrecy and died in exile. This song was written by Seán Clárach Mac Dhomhnaill (c. 1691-1757). Lyrics, phonetics, and translations were taken from printouts graciously produced by Tim Martin and personal transcription.

[Irish-Gaelic]

[1 agus Curfa]

Sé mo laoch mo Ghile Mear

‘Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,

Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin

Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.

[2]

Seal da rabhas im’ mhaighdean shéimh,

‘S anois im’ bhaintreach chaite thréith,

Mo chéile ag treabhadh na dtonn go tréan

De bharr na gcnoc is imigéin.

Curfa

[3]

Bímse buan ar buairt gach ló,

Ag caoi go cruaidh ‘s ag tuar na ndeór

Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beó

‘S ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.

Curfa

[4]

Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin

Is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,

Ná maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoigh

Ó d’imthigh sé uaim an buachaill beó.

* Níl curfa anseo...

[5]

Ghile Mear ‘sa seal faoi chumha,

‘S Eire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;

Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin

Ó cuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.

[Rough Phonetic]

[1 and Chorus]

Shay muh lay moe Gil-ah Mar

Shay moe Hay-suh, Gil-ah Mar,

Soon nawh shayn nee voor-ahs hayn

Oh coo-ig EE-gayne moe Gil-ah Mar.

[2]

Shall dah ross im wy-gem hay-v,

Sa-nEEsh im vahn-trock caw-cha tray,

Moe kayl egg trav-ah nah gun guh train

Deh var nah ng-ic iss im-ee-gayn.

Chorus

[3]

Beem-sha boo-in air boo-urch gawk low,

Egg key guh crew-eh seg toor nah nyoar

Mar squeal-ah oo-im aun boo-cull b-yo

Snah riv-tar toorisk oo-ig, muh v-roan.

Chorus

[4]

Nee lauw-ron cooirk guh sooirk air no-n

Iss neel guh gah-air ee key-olteh kno,

Nah mah-jen how-ree ee glan-tehv keo

Oh dimmy shay whim aun boo-cul byo.

* No Chorus Here...

[5]

Gil-ah Mar sah shall fwee coov(a),

Iss Air guh lair fwee cloak-ev doov(a);

Soon nah shayne nee voor-ahs hayne

Oh coo-ig e gayne muh Gil-ah Mar.

Rough translation of the song...to come.

Rough translation of the song...

1. and Chorus:

He's my champion my Gallant Darling, he's my Caesar, a Gallant Darling,

I've found neither rest nor fortune since my Gallant Darling went far away.

2.

Once i was gentle maiden,

but now I'm a spent, worn-out widow,

my consort strongly plowing the waves,

over the hills and far away.

4.

The cuckoo doesn't sing cheerfully after noon,

And the sound of hounds isn't heard in the nut-tree woods,

Nor a summer morning in a misty glen

Since my my lively boy went away from me.

3.

Every day I'm constantly enduring grief,

weeping nitterly and shedding tears,

because my lively lad has left me

and no news is told of him - alas.

5.

Gallant Darling for a while under sorrow,

And Ireland completely under black cloaks;

I have found neither rest nor fortune

Since my Gallant Darling went far away.

The display of these songs on this site is only meant as a means for the Celtic Arts Center Choir to distribute songs to its members. This is not intended for wider publication or larger distribution.

© 2002 TechnoCelt Productions in association with The Celtic Arts Center / An Claidheamh Soluis. All rights reserved.

Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, 1691-1754

Seal da rabhas im' mhaighdean shéimh,

'S anois im' bhaintreach chaite thréith,

Mo chéile ag treabhadh na dtonn go tréan

De bharr na gcnoc is i n-imigcéin.

Curfá:

'Sé mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear,

'Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,

Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin

Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.

Bímse buan ar buaidhirt gach ló,

Ag caoi go cruaidh 's ag tuar na ndeór

Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beó

'S ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.

Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin

Is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,

Ná maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoigh

Ó d'imthigh uaim an buachaill beó.

Marcach uasal uaibhreach óg,

Gas gan gruaim is suairce snódh,

Glac is luaimneach, luath i ngleo

Ag teascadh an tslua 's ag tuargain treon.

Seinntear stair ar chlairsigh cheoil

's líontair táinte cárt ar bord

Le hinntinn ard gan chaim, gan cheó

Chun saoghal is sláinte d' fhagháil dom leómhan.

Ghile mear 'sa seal faoi chumha,

's Eire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;

Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin

Ó luaidh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.

A literal translation by J. Mark Sugars 1997

Once I was a gentle maiden,

But now I am a spent, worn-out widow,

My consort strongly plowing the waves

Over the hills and far away.

Refrain:

He is my hero, my Gallant Darling,

He is my Caesar, a Gallant Darling;

I've found neither rest nor fortune

Since my Gallant Darling went far away.

Every day I am constantly enduring grief,

Weeping nitterly and shedding tears,

Because my lively lad has left me

And no news is told of him- - - alas!

The cuckoo does not sing cheerfully at noon

And the sound of hounds is not heard in nut-tree woods

Nor summer morning in misty glen

Since my lively boy went away from me.

Noble, proud young horseman,

Youth without gloom, of pleasant countenance,

A swift-moving fist, nimble in a fight,

Slaying the enemy and smiting the strong.

Let a strain be played on musical harps,

And let many quarts be filled on the table,

With high spirit, without fault, without gloom,

That my lion may receive long life and health.

Gallant Darling for a while under sorrow,

And Ireland completely under black cloacks,

I have found neither rest nor fortune

Since my Gallant Darling went far away.

Un tempo ero una dolce fanciulla

ora sono una vedova in stracci

il mio sposo valica le onde del mare

e cammina sulle colline dell'esilio


Lui è il mio eroe, il mio affascinante amore,

lui è il mio Cesare, il mio amore,

non ho trovato né pace nè fortuna

da quando il mio amore è partito


Ogni giorno sono sempre depressa

e verso amaramente copiose lacrime

perchè il mio amore pieno di vita se n'è andato

e ahimè nessuna sua notizia ricevo


Il cuculo non canta allegramente a mezzogiorno

e non si sente l'abbaiare dei levrieri nei boschi di nocciolo

non esiste più l'estate nelle valli nebbiose

da quando se n'è andato, il mio amore pieno di vita


Nobile, orgoglioso, giovane cavaliere

guerriero senza tristezza, dal viso piacente

dal pugno pronto, rapido nella lotta

che sconfigge il nemico e colpisce il forte.


Che si intonino arie su arpe armoniose

e che si riempiano molti bicchieri

con animo sollevato senza colpa o tristezza

brindiamo alla vita e alla salute del mio leone


Sfolgorante amore ora attraversiamo un periodo di dolore

e tutta l'Irlanda si ricompre di un manto nero

non trovo pace nè fortuna

da quando il mio amore è partito



In realtà, nelle intenzioni dell'autore si trattava di una canzone allegorica di ambito politico (Giacobita), dove la "vedova in stracci" è l'Irlanda stessa, e il suo "Ghile Mear" ("prode innamorato") è il principe Carlo Stuart, detto familiarmente "Bonnie Charles" ("bel Carlo"). Ma col tempo, persasi la coscienza degli avvenimenti, è diventata un semplice lamento di una donna per il suo innamorato lontano in guerra; e così la accogliamo nella nostra raccolta. Da notare che, nell'Irlanda di lingua gaelica ("Gaeltacht"), viene cantata tradizionalmente nei pubs al momento della chiusura, quando il gestore tenta di...sgomberare il locale dagli avventori. I quali, per ritardare il momento di tornare a casa, e per bersi un ultimo bicchiere, intonano questa canzone dall'andamento triste e melancolico. (Da Canzoni contro la guerra https://www.antiwarsongs.org/canzone.php?lang=it&id=3235 )